


Sorrow

by dudebladeX



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: ambigously gendered byleth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:34:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25530664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dudebladeX/pseuds/dudebladeX
Summary: After a year, the survivors of the war come together to finally get some closure, and an explanation.
Kudos: 22





	Sorrow

“And then, I shit you not: Balthus just _suplexes_ him! Me, him, Holst, and Hilda must’ve spent at least three days fighting them off.”

“Ha! That’s nothing compared to when Caspar punched a giant bird in the face!” Edelgard laughed, “All the Eagles had to keep him from being killed by at least ten of them! When we finished up, he grabbed a _book_ that was in the nest and held it up like it was a chalice of gold.”

“I hope I’m not late for the reunion.” Dimitri said as he finally entered the room.

“Nah, we were just passing the time telling old stories.” Claude waved off, “What about you? Any stories about your friends you wanna share?”

“None that you haven’t heard before.” Dimitri smirked before his face fell.

Had it really been an entire year since _that_ day?

The day that Professor Byleth Eisner had tried to annihilate all of Fódlan?

It was a heartbreaking betrayal. One moment, she was staring at Edelgard, who had revealed herself to be the Flame Emperor, and the next, she had tried killing everyone in the Monastery. Nobody was safe from her wrath.

Rhea had been the first to take fatal injuries. 

It would have been a massacre had Rhea not transformed into the Immaculate One and thrown her into a canyon for five years before dying. What was supposed to be a heartfelt reunion five years later had turned into a war that lasted nearly an entire year.

Byleth had returned, and they started the return by burning all of Gronder Field to the ground. While the reports of the brutal deaths of Those who Slither in the Dark had been wonderful news for Edelgard, Lysithea, Seteth, Flayn, and the rest of the world, it was not over. Villages had been razed to the ground, few villagers only being saved by the lord of the town that had occupied their territory.

Byleth’s wrath was far from over. It would have been a miracle, but then more and more people suffered from their raids. Raids that they carried out on their own with no help from beasts, phantoms, demons, or monsters. In fact, corpses of beasts and demons were often found in the surrounding area, almost as if to send a message that this was all their doing, and _only_ their doing.

Then, on that one fateful day, in the ruins of the Remire Village that had fallen back when Byleth was still a professor, They had issued a challenge:

The three lords of Fódlan would be allowed to bring their armies, and challenge them. There was one rule to the challenge:

_Win._

Losing meant death to all of Fódlan, and to their suspicions, the rest of the world.

After all, Byleth had the power of Sothis on their side. While Byleth had promised a fair fight, they were always on their guard.

It had taken several near-misses and quite the amount of teamwork, but eventually, they had all managed to fell Byleth. Who had ultimately perished.

The only tears came from the former students, especially the lords and their respective armies were all practically bawling when they had been forced to put down their beloved professor. Even Hubert was shedding tears at what he had done.

The Monastery was miraculously still standing, and nobody had been to it since. Even the hidden underground was abandoned and untouched after all these years. Rumors of the Fell Star’s ghost haunting the place were common among all over the newly-united Fódlan, and no one had dared to step foot near the place.

“So…” Claude’s somber demeanor deepened as the cheerful mood fell from the room even further.

“Right. As much as I’d love to exchange pleasantries, we do have some things to do.” Edelgard said, suppressing a sob.

“It is time to finally close the book on this.”

The three of them had all gone to the professor’s private quarters. In hopes of finding out what could have possibly driven them to their madness and destruction.

It was a pristine room. Aside from the dust, it looked as if it had been constantly cleaned and upheld throughout the war. Even their old rooms were restored. All of them. To the tiniest detail. The only thing that had been there that was not before was the dust.

Just dust.

The neatly-made bed, the well-organized desk, even Byleth’s old fishing lures had been maintained. Even the marketplace had been restored, though nobody sold any goods there.

The kitchen only had a single dirty dish that was still in the sink. Whatever was served on it had long since been eaten by the strangely-still-remaining animals that were still around.

Most surprisingly, the grave where Jeralt and Sitri had been had dozens of bouquets of wilted flowers.

It was a miracle. Even Edelgard had thought it to be the work of the Goddess.

They started respectfully rummaging through the room, only to come up short for anything that seemed unusual except for a single key. The key to Rhea’s room.

So, to the room they had traveled.

The room was not what they had expected. Instead of books of religion, there were battle plans everywhere. Profiles of each village, their inhabitants, and so much more.

It was clear: Byleth had used this room when they were trying to tear down Fódlan.

The strengths, weaknesses, profiles, likes and dislikes, every single detail that each student had upon their arrival was all organized into neat little piles.

There was an armored bear stuffy, a pair of riding boots, and a set of training weights on the bed.

Edelgard had picked up the Stuffy. She had seen it before in the marketplace. She thought of buying it for herself at the time, but decided against it. Seeing it as something that she shouldn’t have since she was to become emperor.

Claude had taken notice to the riding boots. They had a carefully-etched Almyra symbol on it. He had planned to get a pair for himself, but never could build up the courage to also etch the Almyra symbol onto it, so he never did.

Dimitri looked at the training weights, they were the kind that he had always wanted to try out back in his school days but simply didn’t have the time to go out and buy it for himself. It was pointless anyways, he was always focused on his studies.

These gifts, they realized, were meant for _them_.

On the pillow there was a letter. Carefully inspecting it for any potential magical traps that may have been placed upon it, they had decided to read it.

_“My dearest and precious students,_

_If you are reading this, then congratulations on passing your final exam. I hope that your dreams of a united Fódlan were successful. Before I go on, however, I must explain myself. On that night, when we met, I had met you before. In other times. I made different choices. I would sometimes choose to ally myself with Claude, in an attempt to save as many people as possible. But it was unsuccessful, as the amount of lives lost were too great. In other times, I would choose Dimitri for the same reason, as well as Edelgard’s. Sometimes I would find myself allying with Rhea, and others I would find myself allying with the empress._

_I know that it is confusing, but that night I had met the three of you in Remire, the first time for me, I had the Goddess Sothis within me, who allowed me to see through time. With this power, I used it to go to different points in time, to try to make different decisions, to save all of you. My beloved students. It was not until this time that I had realized that the only way to do so was to give you all a common enemy: Myself. Thank you for uniting Fódlan. And I must beg you to believe me that I wish that I could be there with all of you to celebrate this occasion, however, history demands a villain to unite against._

_My dear students, I had come to accept that conflict was inevitable. So I had to betray all of you. For that, I deeply apologize. I did not wish to deceive all of you. But it was the only way to unite the Kingdom, Empire, and Alliance together. I know not what you will call this new united land, but I wish for it to stay united as one. Please, stay the closest of friends and allies. If I am to have one last request, I wish it to be that._

_I cherished each moment with you. The ones of this time, and every moment before. Know that I am proud of you. Each and every single one of you, and that if it were up to me, I would have taught all of you so that each and every single one of you could achieve their dreams. I wish I could be there for that day that peace were to finally be brought to Fódlan, but fate had other plans. I hold no ill towards you for slaying me, and I cherished seeing you work together. Please keep doing that. I had partially lied, however, I had used my abilities to stay in that moment for a little while longer. Just to cherish the sight of my beloved students working together. While I am writing this in advance, know that: Nothing brought me more joy in the world than seeing all of you excel._

_To the empress, I leave one additional gift to you: in this room there are research notes. Some from my own, and others from times where Hannenman and Linhardt found a means to remove crests. Please use it to bring back the years stolen from you and Lysithea._

_Please keep prospering._

_All of you._

_Dimitri._

_Khalid._

_El._

~~_Your professor, enemy, friend,_ ~~ _~~Goodbye.~~ _

~~_\- Byleth Eisner.”_ ~~

The last line had been crossed out more times than they could count.

Edelgard was the first to fall to her knees in a fit of sadness. It wasn’t fair. They should be _here_ . With _them_ . _Right now_.

Claude was next. The letter had said it all. They had _known_ them. She had tried to _save_ all of them. She did save _them_. At the cost of their life, reputation, and happiness.

Dimitri, for everything he had seen, could not help but scream in anguish. This life… A senseless sacrifice _just_ to restore peace… But at what cost?

They all left at sunset. Each gift in hand. Saying farewell to each other and making a promise:

That they would keep holding their professor’s motives as the one greatest secret to be kept.

Garreg Mach Monastery.

Where a beloved friend had sacrificed everything to restore peace.

While they were neither confirmed nor disproven, rumors started about what the three now-former rulers had seen and done that day.

The cats and dogs of the Monastery would sometimes gather around in the graveyard, where a restored gravestone now read:

_Jeralt Eisner_

_⁄€‹⁄‹-1180_ _  
_

_Surrounded by cherished memories and family._

_Sitri Eisner_

_1139-1159._

_Byleth Eisner_

_1159-1185._

_Mentor, friend, the true uniter of Fódlan._

* * *

“Are you sure you made the right choice?”

“I am sure, Sothis.” Byleth replied, “It was the only way, and I had my happy times with them. It’s time that they have happy times with each other.”

“I still believe that it was a foolish decision. Did we truly have to merge once again to make it all happen?”

“I’m not sure. But it bought us time so that we could all bond, and that they would know that they would have no choice _but_ to put me down.”

“You certainly are a strange one, Byleth.”

“I never _was_ normal to begin with. I only learned what emotions were when I met those students. And I had no heartbeat.

“Ah yes. The decision of my daughter. A reckless and rather irrational decision on her part, but apparently worth it in the end if your smile is anything to go by.” Sothis beamed.

“Indeed. I feel now. Still… I wonder if there was another way…”

“Indeed. Had I a body, I would have made a portrait or even a monument of you and your students’ at their graduation if that happy ending had been possible.” Sothis said.

“We have time to wonder ‘what-ifs’ at another time.” Byleth said, “For now, we have all the time in the world. What do you say Sothis?- Will you take my hand?”

“Of course.” Sothis took their hand and the two started towards a light, “I will never tire of loving you.”

“Nor I, of you.” Byleth replied.

**Author's Note:**

> AS a fanfic writer, it is my sworn duty to provide some angst.
> 
> Happy anniversary, Fire Emblem: Three Houses


End file.
